Tuesday, December 28, 2010

La Hacienda

I was surprised when my parents picked out La Hacienda for our Christmas dinner; I had been under the impression that my parents didn't much care for Mexican food. Luckily, any concerns about eating at a Mexican restaurant to celebrate the holiday they may have had were definitely squashed by the terrific experience we had at La Hacienda.

First things first, my parents had made sure to note that one of our party (me!) was a gluten free eater. Almost immediately after we sat down the waiter acknowledged the dietary restriction and provided some great suggestions for me as I began to peer over the menu. It's always nice to have that guide and particularly nice when the guide isn't overwhelming, as was the case at La Hacienda.

My family ordered up some chips and guacamole to begin, and I went with the "Camarones al Chipotle" after being assured that it was safe for gluten free eaters. You can check out the full menu here. The guacamole was a great way to begin, but we all way overload on the chips. The dip was prepared at the table, with the waitstaff asking us about our particular tastes in concocting it. It definitely isn't part of our Christmas routine to have guacamole, much less to have it prepared tableside!

The Camarones al Chipotle was amazing. Four (perhaps five, I'm now forgetting) shrimp were served on a corn base, similar to a bruschetta but with a Latin American flavor and much thinner. So maybe not similar at all. Apologies for the poor description -- regardless of what it looked like, it was delicious. I also didn't bring my phone or camera to snap pics of this meal... guess you'll have to check it out for yourself!

After eating all of that food, I had to skip dessert. It's been a few days since I had this meal, but I think I can safely say I'm still full from it! I would definitely recommend La Hacienda to anybody looking for a restaurant with gluten free options in the Scottsdale area.

Do you love it or do you love it?
- - -La Hacienda
7575 East Princess Drive,
Scottsdale, AZ 85255 (Map)
480.585.4848